


Girl Talk

by honestgrins



Series: Waiting [5]
Category: The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-13
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 22:35:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,146
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4582710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honestgrins/pseuds/honestgrins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Change is a weird thing, but it's a lot easier with your best friend to serve as your sounding board.</p>
<p>Part of "Waiting," a series of Steroline/Belvafore drabbles between TVD Seasons 6 and 7.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Girl Talk

Grabbing the poster she had made for Bonnie's homecoming, Caroline finally felt ready to leave the house. She checked the time on her phone before opening the door, only to find Stefan poised to knock. "What are you doing here," Caroline asked a little breathlessly. She had not actively avoided Stefan all summer, but she definitely tried to limit the awkward situations when she could. Home visits were still too intimate for their relationship status, or lack thereof.

"Bonnie called," Stefan explained. "She asked me to pick them up from the airport, something about Damon and Alaric betting who could drink the plane dry of alcohol."

Caroline's face scrunched in annoyance and confusion. "But she asked me to meet them when they landed," she said with a pout. Squeezing her eyes shut, the blonde realized what her friend had been trying to do. "Which is why she also called you, so we'd be stuck in the car for half an hour together. I can't believe she wou- Wait, if you're picking them up, why are you here?"

Sheepishly, Stefan shrugged. "I thought you'd want to see Bonnie as soon as you could," he answered, nodding toward the sign in her hands. "Clearly, I'm not too far off."

"Fine," Caroline groaned, locking up behind her. "But we can't fit everyone in my car."

"I've got Alaric's SUV," Stefan said with a wry grin. "Come on, I'll let you pick the music."

Rolling her eyes, Caroline managed to refrain from stomping petulantly toward the passenger side. Barely.

* * *

"Bonnie!"

Looking around the baggage claim area, Bonnie followed the voice to a familiar head of blonde curls. She dragged her luggage behind her toward a bouncing Caroline and a bright "Welcome home, Bonnie" sign. Noticing an amused Stefan behind her, Bonnie tried to hide a mischievous grin at her plotting, despite her success in getting her friends in the same room. "Hey," she called, wrapping Caroline in a hug. "I missed you guys."

Caroline tightened her hold. "I missed you so much, Bonnie," she whispered. Leaning back, the blonde narrowed her eyes. "You're alright? They didn't destroy your liver while drinking all the way through Europe?"

Laughing, Bonnie shook her head. "I'm fine, Care," she insisted. 

"Good," Caroline beamed. "Then I don't feel bad about all the cocktails I intend to mix for a girls' night."

"Hold up, Blondie," Damon broke in. Caroline had been so focused on Bonnie that she didn't acknowledge Damon and Alaric greeting Stefan before. "Bonnie needs to get her room at the Boarding House situated before you kidnap her to Casa de Forbes."

Stunned at Damon's declaration, Caroline turned to Stefan. "You haven't told him yet?"

Damon stared at his brother, who shifted uncomfortably on his feet. "Told me what," Damon asked, suspicious of Stefan's reticence.

"I'm actually staying with Matt," Stefan admitted. "Lily made an offer I wasn't in a position to refuse."

"You're telling me," Damon accused in a low voice, "that a bunch of freaky witchpires took over my house?"

"They took over the town," Caroline clarified. As unsure as she was about their relationship, Caroline would defend Stefan over Damon any day. She remembered that awful urge she had to offer her home to Stefan when he told her about Lily's ultimatum, as well as the guilty relief she felt when Matt opened the Lockwood Mansion to him. "It was lose your house or lose your brother. Matt can take you and Alaric in, too. But I thought Bonnie might want to stay with me." She directed the last part to her friend, hoping that she wouldn't be left all alone.

Bonnie hesitated, looking toward Damon. Too used to spending all of her time with him, she couldn't admit to her desired living arrangements in public. When Caroline was surprised, she got loud. "A girls' night sounds good, Care," Bonnie hedged. "We can work out the details later."

Sighing in delighted acceptance, Caroline took Bonnie's arm to lead her out of the airport. "The boys can get the bags," she whispered conspiratorially. She glanced back to Stefan, who was dutifully picking up Bonnie's luggage. She swallowed, hoping to quash the twinge of guilt she felt at keeping him waiting. "Tonight, you're mine."

* * *

 The girls had settled in the Forbes house for the night, and they made themselves comfortable on the couch. With a bottle of wine and a bowl of buttered popcorn between them, Bonnie finally asked the question that had her on edge all day. "How are things with Stefan?"

Glaring at the other girl, Caroline scoffed into her wineglass. " _Things_ are perfectly friendly, and we don't need you manipulating us into spending time together," she answered. "That was a sly trick you pulled today, Miss Bennett."

"Well," Bonnie said, eyes wide in innocence. "Damon may have mentioned how extra broody Stefan has been on the phone, and I know you've been keeping yourself extra busy with Mystic Falls antics to avoid seeing him. I think that means you  _do_ need me manipulating you into spending time with the guy you...you know." Bonnie wasn't certain on what feelings may or may not have been admitted, though she could clearly see how much Stefan and Caroline cared about each other. "What are you still waiting for?"

"I don't know," Caroline sighed. "For me to stop feeling so guilty?"

"Guilty," Bonnie asked, hoping for clarification.

"I feel guilty. I put my feelings for Stefan in the forefront, and I almost missed my mom's final moments. I stressed over what I mean to him, and I ended up flipping the humanity switch. I let everyone else bully him into seeing me as a romantic prospect. How do I let him comfort me in the aftermath of all my terrible decisions? It just seems wrong." Caroline deflated after her speech, a sad resignation taking over her entire being.

Bonnie frowned. "So, you're hurting yourself and Stefan for the sake of punishing yourself? Do you hear how crazy that sounds?"

"About as crazy as keeping Damon from flying off the handle now that Elena's gone," Caroline shot back. 

"That's different, and you know it," Bonnie bristled. "He could have let me die, and then Elena would still be here."

"Elena will be back," Caroline replied softly. "You don't owe Damon for doing the right thing in saving you."

Smiling sadly, Bonnie shook her head. "Maybe not, but I feel like I have to help him. I can't lose him," she said plainly.

Caroline didn't understand Bonnie's connection with Damon, but she couldn't bring herself to holding it against her friend either. "I guess we'll just have to deal with our Salvatores in our own way, then," she announced. "Until then, let's watch so many romantic comedies that we forget how crazy our life really is."

Laughing, Bonnie leaned into the blonde. "Deal," she agreed.


End file.
